Photoacoustic techniques are investigative methods in which excitation laser pulses are absorbed in a target absorber producing an acoustic response. These acoustic waves act as carriers of information relating to the light absorption properties of the target absorber and can be used to describe its constituents and structure. Applications include the characterization of biological tissue and non-destructive testing of materials and structures. While photoacoustic techniques provide an inherently powerful means of characterizing a target, their practical implementation can be problematic using conventional acoustic methods.